The Portland Timbers have officially announced the signing of Ghanaian goalkeeper Adam Larsen Kwarasey.
The Oregonian first reported the possibility of the signing last week.
"I'm really looking forward to just playing in the MLS," Kwarasey told Timbers.com. "I've heard a lot about it and I've heard that Portland is one of the most traditional clubs in the MLS with great fans and some history behind the club. Everything is in order for a player to perform."
Kwarasey will be added to the Timbers' roster pending the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 visa. Kwarasey will occupy an international slot on the Timbers roster.
The Timbers did not disclose the details of the contract, but it was reported as a three-year deal by the Norwegian press last week.
Kwarasey has competed for Norwegian Premier League club Strømsgodset since 2007. Strømsgodset plays in a stadium in Drammen, Norway, just a short drive from Kwarasey's birthplace of Oslo and the goalkeeper has played the entirety of his professional career with the Norwegian club.
Kwarasey helped captain the club in 2013 when it won its second-ever league championship. He also earned the league's Goalkeeper of the Year award that season.
The goalkeeper also captained Strømsgodset to the third qualifying round of the 2011-12 and 2013-14 UEFA Europa League tournament and the second qualifying round of the 2014-15 UEFA Champions League tournament.
He made 154 appearances during his time with Strømsgodset, but indicated this year that he wanted a new challenge and would be leaving Strømsgodset after his contract expired at the end of the 2014 season.
Kwarasey was born in Norway to a Ghanaian father and Norwegian mother. He has made 23 appearances with the Ghana National Team since 2011.
The 6-foot-3 Kwarasey was named to the Ghana National Team's roster for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He started in goal during Ghana'a opening 2-1 Group G loss to the United States, but was then benched the following game.
Kwarasey has claimed that he was unfairly removed from the starting lineup and has been in a dispute with the Ghana National Team ever since. Kwarasey has not made an appearance for Ghana since the World Cup.
With the addition of Kwarasey, the Timbers now have four goalkeepers on their roster. The Timbers announced Monday that they had picked up the 2015 contract options on goalkeepers Jake Gleeson and Andrew Weber and that goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts was already under contract for 2015.
It seems unlikely that the Timbers would keep all four goalkeepers on their roster. In the past, the Timbers have mutually terminated the contracts of players and it seems like a route they could pursue with Ricketts if the 37-year-old doesn't announce his retirement.
-- Jamie Goldberg | @jamiebgoldberg